On the eve of trial, a Judge in rural Lakeport, Calif., has ordered that the prosecution of a young black man for murder be moved to another county because it is unlikely the suspect can receive a fair trial. On Thursday, a judge granted a defense motion for a change of venue. The defense had argued that he would not be able to get a fair trial because of extensive local media coverage and the unlikelihood that Hughes could get a jury of his peers in the county. A new location for the trial will be selected Dec. 14. “We have to go to a more urban environment,” said defense attorney Stuart Hanlon, overjoyed that his latest attempt to get the trial moved had finally succeeded, shortly after a jury had been selected.
The suspect, Renato Hughes Jr., 22, is one of three men who attempted to rob a Lakeport homeowner last year. During the robbery, the dealer shot two of the intruders to death. Under an obscure California law that could make him responsible for the two deaths.
Link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071116/ap_on_re_us/break_in_murder;_ylt=Aud5uSf6ntQvmFC4QMKYuQ1I2ocA